Contemporary

Contemporary: River City Series @ayersbooks #RLFblog

Wanting 

Thanks, Kayelle, for inviting me to be on your blog. I love
visiting with new readers. For those of you who don’t know me, I write River City
novels. They aren’t exactly a series, more like a collection. A series is
supposed to be read in order, but the glue to my stories is the city itself so
they stand alone. They are about young urbanites who live, work, and play in River City.
Each one is trying to make the city a little better by volunteering or doing
other things within the community.

I love writing these stories. Every one is unique. And if
you put everyone into a room, you’ll find a few are tight friends and some
barely know each other. It’s not unisual for old friends to show up in other
stories. And if you do read them in order, it’s fun. Spoiler: No, Dallas is not pregnant,
yet.
When I started writing romance novels I started with Mac and
Amanda. That book became Wanting. Amanda had been sexually abused as a
child. She’s repressed the painful memories and built a barrier to protect
herself from ever being hurt again. Mac might want her, but it’s going to take
every bit of his strength to win her over while handling the demons of her past
as they surface.
The second River City novel A New Beginning is Rick and Dallas’ story. At eighteen
Dallas finds
herself kicked out of her home. With no place to go she turns to the one person
that she knows who will take her in. Eleven years between them, suddenly Rick
is coping with a brilliant but funky teen. She destroys his budget and his
sterling reputation. He gives her the opportunity to grow up while fostering
her artistic ability. But when Rick is charged with what amounts to kidnapping
charges, there’s more at stake than his reputation.
A Challenge is the third River City
novel. It’s Ari and Tate’s story. Tate is an athlete and she falls hard for the
handsome Ari. She accepts a job in River
City to be near Ari, but
the job doesn’t go exactly as planned. When she discovers she’s pregnant, she’s
got bigger problems.
The fourth River
City is Forever.
Letitzia has been burned by so many men that she doesn’t want to become
involved with another man. But Jeffery Lister, MD has fallen in love with her.
She builds skyscrapers. He delivers babies. He’s always assumed that one day
he’d settle down and have a family, but he doesn’t have time for them. Can two
people with very busy jobs ever have time for more than a casual relationship?
Gerald and Katie’s story is A Son. Certain that the
child is not his, Katie’s boyfriend kicks her out when she announces that she’s
pregnant. Katie’s dreams of a happily-ever-after have been destroyed.
Overweight and pregnant, she only wants to be healthy for the sake of her baby.
Gerald offers to be her gym partner, but he’s fallen in love with her. She
doesn’t want him tangled in her web. She’d determined to raise her child on her
own and protect her son from the prejudice that still exists towards mixed-race
children.
Coming later this month is the sixth River City
novel, A Child’s Heart. At eighteen, Trent graduated from high school, married,
and took a job to support his pregnant wife. But when his wife went into labor,
he suddenly became a widower with a newborn. The baby has the same heart defect
as his mother and needs surgery. Four years later, little Shawn is scheduled
for a delicate, experimental heart surgery. Trent’s
mom has made sure her son has been a good father, but when Cassie walks into Trent’s life, everything
changes. Cassie is older, has her PhD, and is the city’s museum curator. To
her, nothing is impossible. She’s fallen in love with little Shawn and his
daddy.
I love writing these romances because they are romances, but
they are more slice of life stories. That means I include the life along with
the romance. It’s more realistic. We all know how hectic life can get and that
impacts the love-life. But our daily lives is a major part of who we are. Strip
that away and it’s just another romance.
My River
City novels do have a bit
of heat to them. That heat level fluctuates by the characters. Some couples are
more open and others are very restrained. In today’s world, most people are not
jumping in bed on the first date or even the third. They let those feeling
build as they get to know one another. I’m never erotic, but I don’t shut the
bedroom door. Sex is a normal part of a loving relationship.
Here’s a little sneak preview of A Child’s Heart. That first
kiss is always special and Cassie wasn’t prepared for this one. Her intent was
to give Shawn a few books.

Find Me Here

The Romance Lives Forever blog features authors and new books from all genres.